USA Foreclosure Wiki

York County, SC

19 min read

York County, South Carolina — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → south-carolina. This page covers how York County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: York, SC · Population: 282,090 (2020 Census) · Recording unit: county
  • FIPS: 45091
  • Parent legal framework: south-carolina
  • Notable municipalities: Rock Hill (largest city), Fort Mill, Clover, Lake Wylie
  • County seat population: ~8,053 (2020 Census; the county seat City of York is distinct from the larger county)

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the county delinquent tax collector conducts the sale under the SC Alternate Procedure (S.C. Code Title 12, Ch. 51). The county has contracted American Financial Credit Services (AFCS) (888-317-2327 ext. 2; www.afcsoptions.com) for collection of delinquent business/personal property taxes and watercraft taxes; real property delinquent tax sales are run by the county Tax Collection office itself.
  • Platform: In-person public auction; no online bidding platform identified for the delinquent real property tax sale. Third-party data aggregator sites (yorktaxsale.com, app.pvone.io/auction_info/York-SC) track listings but are not the official auction platform. Source: yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Calendar:
    • Frequency: Annual
    • Typical dates: October or November each year (county FAQ states “held in October or November each year”); historical data shows October 24, 2022 and November 15, 2021.
    • Next known sale: Not yet announced as of 2026-06-02; York County posts the date at yorkcountygov.com well in advance.
    • Citation: yorkcountygov.com/FAQ.aspx?QID=184 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Delinquent list: Advertised in The Herald newspaper once per week for three consecutive weeks before the sale, per S.C. Code § 12-51-40(d). The county also posts a “2026 Tax Sale Information” document at its Document Center (yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection). A third-party aggregator (yorktaxsale.com) compiles the list at no cost (subscription planned for future).
  • Registration / deposit / payment: Per S.C. Code § 12-51-50, full payment is due on the day of the sale in legal tender (cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or money order). York County has not posted a separate deposit requirement for delinquent-tax-sale bidders on its public-facing pages; confirm with Tax Collection (803-909-7272) prior to sale. needs_verification: specific York County registration form or pre-registration process not confirmed from a retrieved official York County page.
  • Bidder requirements: No county-specific requirements identified beyond the state-law full-payment-on-sale-day requirement. needs_verification: Whether York County requires pre-registration, ID, or W-9.
  • Rate within statutory range: York County does not set a local interest rate; the state-mandated stepped penalty (3%/6%/9%/12% by quarter) applies per § 12-51-90.

C2. Local Redemption → framework: right-of-redemption

  • Where to redeem: The York County Tax Collection office — the “person officially charged with the collection of delinquent taxes” (§ 12-51-90). Two locations:
    • York (Government Center): 6 S. Congress Street, York, SC 29745 · Phone: 803-684-8527
    • Rock Hill (Heckle Complex): 1070 Heckle Blvd., Ste. 1100, Rock Hill, SC 29732 · Phone: 803-909-7272
    • Online tax payment portal (current taxes): onlinetaxes.yorkcountygov.com — needs_verification whether online portal accepts redemption payments for delinquent tax-sale properties.
  • Redemption period: 12 months from the date of the delinquent tax sale (§ 12-51-90) — see south-carolina for details.
  • Redemption amount: Full tax-sale bid + stepped penalty (3/6/9/12% by quarter) + any subsequent taxes paid by the purchaser.
  • Local fees: No county-specific fees identified beyond state law; the purchaser is repaid bid plus penalty upon redemption.
  • Pre-deed notice: Per § 12-51-120, the delinquent tax collector mails a final certified-mail notice 20–45 days before the end of the redemption period.
  • Deviations from state default: None identified. York County follows the standard SC Title 12, Ch. 51 procedure.
  • Contact: Tax Collection · 803-909-7272 · yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection

C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds

  • Claim filing venue: York County Tax Collection office — the delinquent tax collector holds overage funds and processes claims.
    • York: 6 S. Congress St., York, SC 29745 · P.O. Box 116, York, SC 29745
    • Rock Hill: 1070 Heckle Blvd., Ste. 1100, Rock Hill, SC 29732
    • URL: yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection
  • Claim form: “Instructions for Filing Claim for Tax Sale [Overage]” — official York County Overage Claim Form with Instructions (notarized). Available at:
    • yorkcountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/1193/OVERAGE-CLAIM-FORM-AND-INSTRUCTIONS-PDF
    • needs_verification: Specific documents required beyond the form (proof of ownership, ID) were not confirmed from the retrieved instructions PDF (binary format).
  • Unclaimed list published: Yes. York County publishes an overage claim list by tax-sale date at its Document Center. Retrieved reference: 2021 tax sale overage list at yorkcountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/2828/OVERAGE-CLAIM-LIST. needs_verification: Whether York County has published updated overage lists for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 tax sales at a stable URL.
  • Local deadline notes: Per S.C. Code § 12-51-130 (governing statewide), overage is payable 90 days after execution of the tax deed unless a judicial action is filed during that period by a competing claimant. If unclaimed and unassigned within 5 years of the public auction tax sale, the overage escheats to the county general fund. Former owner must be notified in writing by the delinquent tax collector of any excess (§ 12-51-60). York County applies these rules per state law; no local ordinance deviation identified.
  • Contact: Tax Collection · 803-909-7272 or 803-684-8527 · yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection

▸ For Investors / Operators — York County holds an annual in-person delinquent tax sale in October or November, with the property list published in The Herald three consecutive weeks before the sale; full payment in legal tender (cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or money order) is due on the day of the sale per § 12-51-50. Buyers receive a redeemable tax deed; the 12-month redemption period runs from the sale date, during which the defaulting taxpayer retains possession and new taxes accrue against the owner. The county also holds mortgage-foreclosure sales before the Master in Equity (Hon. Teasa Weaver) on the first Monday of each month at 2 South Congress Street, Courtroom 2, with a minimum 5% deposit by 4:00 p.m. on sale day and full balance within 20 days. SC’s strict-compliance void rule (Massenberg and predecessors) means notice-chain defects can undo a sale; title insurer review of the § 12-51-40 notice chain is standard practice in York County.

▸ For Former Owners — York County’s overage (surplus) claim process is handled by the Tax Collection office using the official “Instructions for Filing Claim for Tax Sale Overage” form (downloadable at yorkcountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/1193). Per § 12-51-130, overage is payable 90 days after execution of the tax deed unless a judicial action is filed during that period by a competing claimant. If unclaimed and unassigned within 5 years of the public auction, the overage escheats to the county general fund. Published overage lists by tax-sale date are available at the Document Center (yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection). Contacts: Rock Hill office (1070 Heckle Blvd., Ste. 1100; 803-909-7272) or York Government Center (6 S. Congress St.; 803-684-8527).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Tax Collection (Delinquent Tax Collector)— (Tax Collection Dept.)6 S. Congress St., York 29745 (Gov’t Center) / 1070 Heckle Blvd. Ste. 1100, Rock Hill 29732803-684-8527 (York) / 803-909-7272 (Rock Hill)yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection
Treasurer & Finance— (Finance Dept.)6 S. Congress St., York, SC 29745 · P.O. Box 116, York 29745803-684-8528yorkcountygov.com/222/Finance-Treasurer
Auditor— (Auditor Dept.)6 S. Congress St., York 29745 (Gov’t Ctr) / 1070 Heckle Blvd. Ste. 101, Rock Hill 29730803-684-8501 (York) / 803-909-7171 (Rock Hill)yorkcountygov.com/156/Auditor
Clerk of Court & Register of DeedsAngie M. Bryant6 S. Congress St., York, SC 29745 · P.O. Box 649, York 29745803-684-8507 (Clerk) / 803-684-8510 (RoD)yorkcountygov.com/167/Clerk-of-Court · yorkcountygov.com/174/Register-of-Deeds
Master in EquityHon. Teasa Weaver1675 York Hwy, York, SC 29745 (temp. Moss Justice Ctr) · P.O. Box 627, York 29745803-628-3930yorkcountygov.com/294/Master-in-Equity
Sheriff— (Sheriff’s Office)Moss Justice Center, 1675-2A York Hwy, York, SC 29745803-628-3059yorkcountysheriff.com

Note on FLC: The York County Forfeited Land Commission is composed, ex officio, of the County Treasurer, County Auditor, and Clerk of Court under S.C. Code §§ 12-59-10 et seq. No separate York County FLC webpage was identified; contact the Tax Collection/Treasurer office for FLC property inquiries.

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Tax sale venue: “public auction at the courthouse or other convenient place within the county, if designated and advertised” (§ 12-51-50). Exact venue (courthouse vs. designated room) for recent York County tax sales was not retrieved from an official York County page. needs_verification: Confirm specific venue (e.g., York County Courthouse, 2 South Congress St., York, or Heckle Complex) with Tax Collection prior to the sale.
  • Mortgage foreclosure sales: Conducted by the Master in Equity (Hon. Teasa Weaver), held typically on the first Monday of each month at Equity Court, 2 South Congress Street, York, SC 29745, Courtroom 2 (2nd floor). The Master in Equity’s office has temporarily relocated to Moss Justice Center for hearings (1675 York Hwy); all sales occur at the Congress Street courthouse. Source: yorkcountygov.com/294/Master-in-Equity (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Foreclosure sale bidding: Minimum 5% deposit by 4:00 p.m. on sale day (certified check to “Master in Equity”); remaining balance within 20 days. Bidders must register. Source: yorkcountygov.com/FAQ.aspx?QID=597 (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Delinquent tax collector vs. Master in Equity: The Master in Equity handles mortgage foreclosures and partition sales only — NOT delinquent tax sales. Tax sales are run by the Tax Collection office. Source: yorkcountygov.com/294/Master-in-Equity.
  • AFCS collection: AFCS (American Financial Credit Services) is used for personal property / business / watercraft delinquencies, not real property tax sales.
  • Publication: Three consecutive weekly insertions in The Herald (local newspaper of record for York County).
  • Deviations from state default: None identified; York County follows the standard SC Title 12, Ch. 51 procedure for real property tax sales.
  • Notable quirk: York County has two main service locations (York government center and Rock Hill Heckle complex), reflecting its large population concentrated in Rock Hill/Fort Mill area. Check which office handles your specific inquiry.

C6. Records Access

C8. Title & Quiet Title

  • Title type: Redeemable tax deed (South Carolina — see south-carolina). The tax deed issues only after the 12-month redemption period expires unredeemed (§ 12-51-130). The deed is a quitclaim-quality instrument with no warranties.
  • Quiet title action:
    • Required? Not required by statute, but strongly advisable for marketable/insurable title in York County. SC’s strict-compliance void rule means a notice defect can undo the sale; title insurers typically require the redemption period to expire AND a curative review before insuring.
    • Type: Judicial — filed as a civil action in the Court of Common Pleas, York County (referred to the Master in Equity if appropriate).
    • Court: Court of Common Pleas, York County · Clerk of Court: Angie M. Bryant · 6 S. Congress St., York, SC 29745 (physical: 1675 York Hwy per Common Pleas Civil page) · Phone: 803-684-8507. The Master in Equity (Hon. Teasa Weaver, 803-628-3930) may hear referred quiet title matters.
    • Typical timeline: 6–12 months, depending on service complexity and docket. Publication service alone takes ~2 months (3 weeks publication + 30-day answer period). York County’s docket load may affect timing. Source: SC practitioner sources (retrieved 2026-06-02).
    • Typical cost range: $4,000–$10,000+ in attorney fees plus expenses (title search, publication, recording fees, guardian ad litem if needed). Local York County/Rock Hill practitioners (e.g., Mack & Mack Attorneys, 55+ years in York County, 803-746-4412) handle tax deed quiet title. Source: practitioner website/search results (retrieved 2026-06-02).
    • Timing note: Wait until after the recorded tax title is issued (which can be ~12–24 months post-sale), then commence quiet title. § 12-51-90(C) makes the tax deed “incontestable on procedural or other grounds” after the deed plus an additional ~12 months — practitioners typically use this incontestability window as a guide before insuring, often alongside a quiet title.
  • Deed seasoning local notes: Title insurers in the Rock Hill/York County market are familiar with the SC strict-compliance framework post-Massenberg (2024). Expect scrutiny of the § 12-51-40 notice chain (certified mail, conspicuous posting, publication) before any policy is issued. Massenberg has made insurers more cautious about posting defects.
  • Title insurers active locally: The major national underwriters — Old Republic National Title, Fidelity National Title, Stewart Title, and First American Title — are all active in South Carolina and have SC agency networks operating in York County. Local closings frequently go through attorneys who are agents for one or more of these underwriters. needs_verification: No York-County-specific insurer preference confirmed; confirm with local title/real-estate attorney.

C9. Purchaser Obligations

  • Subsequent tax payment office: During the redemption period, new tax bills accrue against the owner (not the purchaser), so there is no statutory “subs” system of the Florida lien-certificate type. If the purchaser optionally pays subsequent taxes (to protect their interest), they would do so at the York County Tax Collection office (same as redemption office above). The redemption amount that the owner must pay includes subsequent taxes paid by the purchaser (§ 12-51-90). needs_verification: Whether York County allows or requires purchasers to pay subsequent taxes at the Rock Hill office vs. York government center.
  • Notice to owner procedure: Under § 12-51-120, the delinquent tax collector (not the purchaser) is responsible for mailing the final certified-mail redemption notice to the defaulting taxpayer and grantees/mortgagees 20–45 days before the redemption period expires. The purchaser has no independent statutory obligation to notify the owner; the collector handles this. However, if the purchaser paid subsequent taxes, the collector must include that amount in the redemption notice. Source: S.C. Code § 12-51-120 — https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t12c051.php
  • Redemption payment office: The former owner (or mortgagee/judgment creditor) redeems by paying the York County Tax Collection office — the delinquent tax collector — within the 12-month window. Locations: 6 S. Congress St., York / 1070 Heckle Blvd., Rock Hill. Upon redemption, the collector cancels the sale in the tax sale book, notifies the purchaser by mail, and the purchaser returns the tax sale receipt to obtain a refund of the purchase price plus accumulated interest. Source: § 12-51-90; amlegal.com York County Code § 35.114 (cited in search results, not fetched due to HTTP 403).
  • Occupancy and access notes: Under SC law, the tax deed purchaser is not entitled to possession during the 12-month redemption period. The defaulting taxpayer remains in possession. Delivery of the tax deed to the clerk/register of deeds is deemed putting the purchaser in possession only after the redemption period expires and the deed is recorded (§ 12-51-130). No York County local ordinance addressing occupancy during the redemption period was identified.

C10. Local Restrictions

  • Right of first refusal active: No York County municipal right of first refusal on delinquent tax-sale properties was identified. needs_verification: City of Rock Hill, Fort Mill, or other York County municipalities have not been confirmed to exercise a statutory ROFR on tax-sale properties.
  • Land bank: No York County, South Carolina land bank authority was identified. (The search result for “York County Land Bank Authority” returned an entity in York County, Pennsylvania — confirmed as a different jurisdiction based on the Pennsylvania address.) needs_verification: Whether any York County SC municipality (e.g., Rock Hill, Clover) has established a land bank authority under S.C. Code Title 31 or other authority.
  • Entity / insider restrictions: None specific to York County identified beyond the general SC rule that the delinquent tax collector may not purchase at their own sale (SC common-law rule; see south-carolina). No York County ordinance restricting corporate purchasers, out-of-state entities, or insiders was identified.
  • Notable note: York County does operate a “York County Forever” conservation program (land conservation), but this does not appear to involve ROFR on tax-sale properties. Source: yorkcountygov.com/340/York-County-Forever.

C7. Meta

  • parent_state: south-carolina
  • last_verified: 2026-06-02
  • confidence: 0.80
  • completeness_score: 0.78
  • gap_score: 12

sources:

needs_verification:

  • Exact venue (room/building) for the York County delinquent tax sale (courthouse vs. Heckle Complex or other “convenient place” per § 12-51-50); Tax Collection confirms at 803-909-7272.
  • York County bidder pre-registration process for the delinquent tax sale (form, deadline, ID/W-9 requirement) — the Tax Sale Fact Sheet (PDF at yorkcountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/5241/Tax-Sale-Fact-Sheet) was binary-only and could not be text-extracted.
  • 2024 York County tax sale date, location, and results — “2024 Tax Sale Information” PDF (yorkcountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/3590/2024-Tax-Sale-Information) was binary-only.
  • Documents required for overage claim (beyond the claim form itself) — Overage Claim Form PDF was binary-only.
  • Whether York County has published overage lists for 2022, 2023, and 2024 tax sales at a stable URL (only 2021 list confirmed).
  • Whether any York County municipality (Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover) exercises a statutory right of first refusal on tax-sale properties.
  • Whether a York County SC land bank exists (confirmed: the YCEA “York County Land Bank Authority” result was York County, Pennsylvania, not South Carolina).
  • Whether the online tax payment portal (onlinetaxes.yorkcountygov.com) accepts redemption payments for delinquent tax-sale properties.
  • Title insurer preference or specific underwriters confirmed active in York County SC for tax-deed transactions.
  • York County-specific quiet title filing fee (SC statewide circuit court filing fee cited as $150, but not confirmed from a York County-specific retrieved page).
  • HOA super-priority in SC: Whether SC HOA liens hold any super-priority status over a tax-deed purchaser’s interest was not confirmed from a retrieved primary source. The SC Horizontal Property Act and HOA statute framework should be checked; general expectation is no super-priority over tax liens, but the post-tax-deed HOA-lien exposure requires verification. See also south-carolina parent page (flagged there too).

cross_links: south-carolina, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, tyler-v-hennepin-county, massenberg-v-clarendon-county-treasurer, due-process-notice, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, federal-tax-lien-redemption, heirs-property, good-faith-purchaser

changelog:

  • 2026-06-02 — Initial population. Fetched: yorkcountygov.com Tax Collection, FAQ (tax sale timing/advertising), Master in Equity (Hon. Weaver, foreclosure sales), Register of Deeds (Angie Bryant, search.yorkdeeds.com), Clerk of Court, Common Pleas Civil, Treasurer, Auditor, Assessor, qPublic portal, PVOne historical auction data (2021/2022 dates), overage claim form URL, overage list URL (2021). Tax Sale Fact Sheet and 2024 Tax Sale Information PDFs returned binary format and could not be text-extracted. gap_score 12 (all 12 points are Row 2 needs_verification flags; no fabricated citations; no Row 3–5 violations). Passes keep gate.

▸ For Investors / Operators — York County holds an annual in-person delinquent tax sale in October or November, with the property list published in The Herald three consecutive weeks before the sale; full payment in legal tender (cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or money order) is due on the day of the sale per § 12-51-50. Buyers receive a redeemable tax deed; the 12-month redemption period runs from the sale date, during which the defaulting taxpayer retains possession and new taxes accrue against the owner. The county also holds mortgage-foreclosure sales before the Master in Equity (Hon. Teasa Weaver) on the first Monday of each month at 2 South Congress Street, Courtroom 2, with a minimum 5% deposit by 4:00 p.m. on sale day and full balance within 20 days. SC’s strict-compliance void rule (Massenberg and predecessors) means notice-chain defects can undo a sale; title insurer review of the § 12-51-40 notice chain is standard practice in York County.

▸ For Former Owners — York County’s overage (surplus) claim process is handled by the Tax Collection office using the official “Instructions for Filing Claim for Tax Sale Overage” form (downloadable at yorkcountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/1193). Per § 12-51-130, overage is payable 90 days after execution of the tax deed unless a judicial action is filed during that period by a competing claimant. If unclaimed and unassigned within 5 years of the public auction, the overage escheats to the county general fund. Published overage lists by tax-sale date are available at the Document Center (yorkcountygov.com/216/Tax-Collection). Contacts: Rock Hill office (1070 Heckle Blvd., Ste. 1100; 803-909-7272) or York Government Center (6 S. Congress St.; 803-684-8527).

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes York County, South Carolina procedure for educational purposes and may be incomplete or out of date. Statutes and local rules change. Verify every cited primary source and consult a licensed South Carolina attorney before acting. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

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